9th and Coles review: Nice look, halfhearted food

Jersey City easily could be the new Hoboken. So when a restaurant opens in the Hamilton Park neighborhood, even if it’s just a corner tavern, it offers potential.

This part of town is an urban hipster neighborhood, full of historic brownstones and the feel of a renaissance. It’s the kind of place where young professionals walk their statement dogs and chain their retro pink-and-white bicycles to lampposts.

And 9th and Coles offers a deliciously retro pub atmosphere. The hardwood floors are nearly bare with character; the walls are punctuated with one amusing old-timey artifact after another. Even the tables hide surprises — one in the back is actually a glass-covered display for Irish coins.

It’s tiny here and tables are smashed close together, encouraging the kind of camaraderie that comes with a few pints of beer and a bit of sports rivalry on the television. In fact, the whole place has the feel of an authentic and unpretentious British pub; on a lucky day, you might spot a princess, even if it’s just a 3-year-old dressed in Disney costume (with a fashion-forward mom in Kate Middleton-inspired boots).

The menu is so focused and streamlined that it offers hopes of excellence, and the website boasts a signature burger. Yet the food here is quite average, a collection of uninspired bar food, pizzas and burgers.

The margherita pizza ($9) won’t weigh you down, but neither does it impress.

Artichoke hearts ($6.50) are a welcome deviation from the typical list of appetizers, but ours were more about being deep-fried than about being artichokes. Shrimp cocktail ($10) was nothing more special than a supermarket version.

A veggie wrap ($8.50), full of grilled vegetables and mozzarella cheese, was fine, if a bit soggy.

The burger is clearly the 9th and Coles signature dish — in fact, a lush-looking version, topped by a fried egg, is pictured on the restaurant’s website. Our Angus burger ($9) was fine, if not exactly signature-worthy, and we’d certainly advise ordering the slaw in lieu of the fries.

Americans love a casual neighborhood restaurant. We’d come here for the atmosphere, the people-watching, a glass of beer; 9th and Coles offers an amazing amount of character in such a small space. But the food, unfortunately, is quite ordinary.